A Week of Vacation Archives - Page 5 of 6

No Checked Bags — A Case for Ditching the Suitcase

08/10/2015 By: CCPearson1 Comment

If you’re going on a trip where you will handle luggage only upon arrival and departure and you have many different functions to attend requiring a variety of outfits, then sure, go ahead and take a big ol’ suitcase. But, if you are planning a trip for “seeing” rather than for “being seen,” then may I recommend that you do yourself a favor, pare down the amount you want to lug around, and travel much lighter and more simply.

Steve and I recently spent 16 days in Italy with some dear friends. We planned the trip ourselves and made a pact to each travel with only carry-ons. After all, we knew we’d be on planes, trains, buses, shuttles, subways, taxis and even on foot. Less stuff would help tremendously.

Here is a “before” picture when I was planning my strategy and determining what had to go with me to Italy.

Here is my bag after I got everything rolled and placed inside.

And this is how everything looked before heading to the airport. (Remember that you are also allowed one “personal item.”) My husband had a rolling backpack. I had this, and we had all we needed for the entire 16 days. Yes, we wore several items multiple times. But, after all, who would know that, except for our friends. We looked at their clothes over and over, and they did us the same favor. It worked.

Here are some thoughts to help you decide:

1) Start with the right bag. Make sure it fits the size requirements of 22″ x 14″ x 9″ for going into overhead bins. Handles and wheels are important, too. Go to places like Mountain High Outfitters and study the options. Or, if you’re prissy like I am, then you might want to splurge on something cute. My friend and I had matching Brighton bags and loved them.

2) Pack what you actually need and roll, roll, roll your clothes. 99% of hotels have irons and ironing boards to take care of the wrinkles. Chico’s has a line of clothes that are great for travel and simply will NOT wrinkle. You can also find great items through websites such as TravelSmith. Go ahead and admit it. You know you can wear that favorite pair of jeans several times before you have to wash them. And, may I just insert a plug here for disposable underwear? Yes. That’s what I said. They are soft, lightweight. Wear them once and toss them. As the trip goes along, you gain extra room in your bag. Check out Onderwear. If nothing else, it will make for interesting conversation. 🙂

3) You will save baggage fees. I understand that Southwest Airlines still doesn’t charge for checked bags, but most airlines do.

4) You avoid the possibility of lost luggage.

5) You are able to make a quick exit at the airport and maybe get to shuttles, car rental kiosks, or taxis ahead of the crowd.

6) It’s much easier to switch flights if you find an earlier or more convenient one, plus you can volunteer to get “bumped” and earn a free flight for the future without having to worry about not seeing your checked bag for days to come.

7) Having a fully-packed carry-on prevents you from buying useless souvenirs. If you find items during your trip that you can’t live without, just pay to have them shipped home. That’s what I did with some beautiful pottery in Florence, and it arrived in much better condition than it would have otherwise.

8) You don’t have to tip porters.

9) You don’t have to get to the airport as early.

10) You do have to plan carefully with your toiletries. Liquids, gels, creams, pastes, aerosols, etc. must be in 3-oz. containers or smaller and should be packed for added protection into quart-size ziploc bags. Just read the airlines’ guidelines. If you’ll need more than 3 ounces of an item, take 2 or 3 containers of that size.

Would you believe there is actually a whole website dedicated to this very subject. Check out www.onebag.com “The Art and Science of Travelling Light.” I suspect you will be convinced to give this whole “less is better” travel method a try.

Suggestions for Grandparents — Kid-Friendly Places in the North Alabama area

08/05/2015 By: CCPearson4 Comments

Yes, from what I hear, Disney World is a fabulous place to take children and is, in fact, a dream destination for many grandparents and their grandchildren. If you have a manageable number of grandchildren and plenty of money, then, by all means ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!!! But, what if you have TWELVE grandchildren?? That changes the scenario exponentially, don’t you think? Or, let’s say that you have a long weekend or a week with multiple grandchildren coming to visit and no parents to help. THEN, what are your options for entertainment in the North Alabama area?

My Silver Fox and I have hosted a Cousins Camp for our (potty-trained) grandchildren the past 8 years. The first year we only had 2 grands and spent a few days in Gatlinburg, just experimenting with this whole Cousins Camp idea. The 2nd year we bought a travel trailer and took 3 grands to the beach. The next year we sold the camper and were building a house, so we spent a week with 5 grands in a cabin at Joe Wheeler. The next two years we hosted 7 grands, followed by two more years with 9 grands, and just a week ago, we were up to 10 grands for a week. All of those numbers have a great impact on what you can/should do and what you cannot/should not try to do. The following is a list of places and activities that have made it to our Clipboard of Fun in the past three years. I am including websites, when available, for those who want to do additional research.

1. River City Lanes in Decatur — The kids (ages 4-14) LOVE bowling, and I believe it will become a Cousins Camp tradition. Last year we unwittingly made a group reservation and paid way too much. This year we learned about a summer bowling promotion where you can sign up and only pay for renting the shoes. All 10 of the kids bowled 2 games for under $40. A bargain in our opinion.

2. Regal Cinemas and their Summer Movie Express. Hurray! All 12 of us for only $12. Yes! We have taken advantage of this great deal for several years now. There are usually good deals on popcorn and drinks, too.

3. Funland Mini-Golf, 401 14th St. S.E., Decatur, AL, 35601. We tried this for the very first time this year, and I suspect it, too, will become a tradition.

4. Athens Lions Club Kiddie Carnival. Read about it here. This is a hit with many grandparents and grandchildren, but truthfully, we just have too many kids at too many ages/stages and not enough grown-up hands for this particular activity. However, I do recommend it.

5. Hartselle Aquatic Center. Hartselle opened their beautiful new facility last year, and it is wonderful. We especially appreciate the trained lifeguard staff. There’s a large kiddie pool area, water slides, a diving board, a snack bar, and plenty of places for adults to “relax and watch.”

6. Spring Valley Beach. This place is located about an hour south of Huntsville, so it’s quite a trek from Athens. We went there 2 different summers and thoroughly enjoyed it.

7. Nashville Shores. About a 2-hour drive from Athens. The main reason to consider this place would be in conjunction with other Nashville or Franklin places that you want to visit. It’s nice and has plenty of different components, but probably not worth the long drive unless you are already heading in that direction. Consider the ages of your grands and whether you have enough watchful eyes available.

8. Aquarium Restaurant at Opry Mills in Nashville. This would be a fun place to eat IF you are going to Nashville. It has a kid-friendly menu and the aquarium is HUGE.

9. Birmingham Zoo. Again, this is a pretty good drive away, and, of course, there is also a nice zoo in Nashville. Both are well-maintained. Just consider the needs and interests of the children involved when you are deciding about the investment of time getting there and back.

10. Harmony Park Safari, Huntsville, AL. This place is a LOT of fun. It is a drive-through type of zoo. The animals roam free, and they come right up to your car/van as you very slowly drive the trails. Each carload is given several cups of appropriate feed, and the animals will eat it right out of the children’s hands. Quite a thrill. Bathrooms there are very primitive — just a word of caution.

11. Cook’s Pest Control Museum in Decatur, AL. It’s FREE!!! It is also very well-done. Cook’s is in the process of building a large new museum that will open in 2017. We will certainly want to include it in our Clipboard of Fun for that year. Our grands liked it a lot.

12. Alabama Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL. Our crowd loved this! Consider including an IMAX movie if you go. There are plenty of interactive games and a few rides for all ages. The price is pretty steep, but the Center does offer a Grandparents Discount, plus you can obtain 20% discount coupons from the Huntsville Convention and Visitors Center if you plan ahead.

13. A wagon ride through the Amish community in Eldridge, TN. My husband and I wanted to expose our grandchildren to another culture and way of life this year, and Eldridge, TN is only about an hour’s drive from our house. As preparation, I read to them a children’s book by Beverly Lewis called Just Plain Fancy, and we talked about what they would be seeing and some of the Amish customs and beliefs. We bought baked goods and vegetables from the Amish people at several of the homes where we stopped, and I believe it made an impression on our grandchildren. At least, it made them think. You might want to look back at a post I wrote about this place several weeks ago.

14. Do your grandchildren enjoy art and painting? Why not make arrangements with either The Broken Brush in downtown Athens or Coffee and Canvas on Hwy 72 in Rogersville? Both places offer group sessions and provide all of the materials.

Now, where are some kid-friendly places to take your grands to EAT? Well, that’s a post for another day. 🙂 The point is that God has blessed us with these wonderful young people in our lives. Let’s make the most of the times when it’s still “cool” for them to be with their grandparents. Amen?

Coatepeque, Guatemala — Typical Foods

07/22/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

Scrambled eggs, fried plantains (a large, sturdy type of banana), refried black beans, a small piece of fresh, white cheese, and a tortilla. This is what the hotel served for dinner, the “plato tipico” or typical meal/plate. Be sure to click on these three pictures to see the foods more clearly.

Two fried eggs, fried plantains, refried black beans, a small piece of white cheese, some salsa, a piece of bologna-like meat. The tortillas were in a bowl at the top of the picture. This is what the hotel served for a typical breakfast. In reality, the only difference between breakfast and dinner was how you wanted your eggs cooked. That simplifies things quite a bit, doesn’t it? Imagine how short our grocery lists would be if we served the same things for breakfast and dinner. . . and maybe even lunch 🙂

This is called paches. It consists of chicken and potatoes that have been steamed/baked inside a banana leaf. This was my first time to try this dish, and I can assure you it was quite tasty.

Never fear. We did eat other things at lunch time — usually hamburgers with “no lechuga, no tomate” (no lettuce and no tomatoes — you can’t risk raw vegetables when you have a gringo stomach). Of course, we stuck to bottled water or canned/bottled drinks, too.

One of our many funny times came when fellow traveler Joe Teal, Steve, our van driver Edwin and I went to a place called Pollo Campero. It is a popular chain in Guatemala and had the cleanest restroom I found during the whole week. The waiter told us that they were having a 2 for 1 special on pizzas that night (yay, we can save some money), so Edwin asked how long it would take to cook them (since we had to be at the church pretty quickly). He came back and said we couldn’t have pizza because the ovens weren’t turned on. ???????

So then, Joe said he’d have the 3 chicken strips meal, and the waiter said, “Nobody orders the 3-strip meal.” ????? So Joe said, “Can I order the 4-strip meal?” And the waiter said, “Sure.” ???????

Obviously, something was lost in the translation. 🙂

Some of the Natural Scenery Near Coatepeque, Guatemala

07/20/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

A field of sugar cane. Notice the mountain/rock formation in the background. The locals refer to this as The Sleeping Lady. Imagine that she’s lying face up and her nose is sticking out in the formation on the right. Can you see her now?

We stopped to ask for directions, so I made a quick picture of this family set up to sell coconuts on the side of the road.

A new sight for me was passing mile after mile of rubber trees. Notice the small cups attached near the bottom. White liquid latex is dripping into them. Earlier in the day a worker had cut a strip of bark in the tree, and the latex immediately started oozing out.

The word “Guatemala” shown in the middle of this map near the bottom is actually Guatemala City, the capitol where the main airport is. Our work was done primarily in the province of San Marcos on the western border near Mexico. We were in the towns of Coatepeque and Tecun Uman.

This relatively small country produces so many crops. I would guess that sugar cane and rubber are the main exports, but they also grow tons of bananas, coffee beans, pineapples and coconuts. Probably the most delicious thing I tasted all week was a pineapple/banana smoothie. Oh my! Heavenly!

There are two seasons — dry and rainy — but for me, both of them are hot. We were there at the very end of the dry season. When Steve was in Guatemala during the rainy time of October, it rained constantly, and their main concerns were mudslides and washed out bridges and roads. This time we wiped perspiration and swatted mosquitoes.

On other trips to Guatemala, we have seen more of this country’s incredible natural beauty. I encourage you to visit and see all of this for yourself. If you want to stay closer to “civilization,” as in Guatemala City, there are plenty of choices of very nice, clean, comfortable hotels. Check this website to read descriptions. Maybe on your first trip, you’ll want to play it safe. You’ll still get a sample of architecture, food, and the beautiful Spanish language and Guatemalan people.

Coatepeque, Guatemala — A Few Sights Around Town

07/15/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

During a week in Coatepeque, Guatemala a short time ago, we saw many sights that made us stop and ponder what we were viewing just a little longer. Not only were the sights contrasts to what we’d see “back home,” they were also windows into this culture, these people, and their daily lives. This hospital pictured above (yes, hospital) was directly across the street from the little hotel where we spent our nights. It’s actually a large property with a huge courtyard when you see it closer. This is just one of the entrance gates. The church people in Coatepeque have a ministry in this place and go several times a week to take coffee and encouragement to those waiting with their loved ones, especially in the children’s ward. The mothers have to sleep on the floor next to their sick children, so the church women made some pallets to make them more comfortable. Sadly, there are often so many children that they have to put two in the same bed.

The yellow building with the orange stripes is the Kamali Vic Hotel where we stayed. Interestingly — and revealingly — there are funeral parlors on both sides of the hotel and two more within one half block. Remember, this hotel is facing the hospital. Do you notice the person riding the motorcycle? Do you see anything missing? A helmet, maybe?? There were hundreds of motorcycles being driven in this town, and we didn’t see a single helmet.

I thought you might enjoy this little picture. $464.90 dollars for 13.67 gallons of gas??? No, not quite. The unit of currency in Guatemala is the quetzal (which also happens to be the national bird). The exchange rate while we were there was 7.65 quetzales (they call them Q’s) per dollar. So, the total bill here is actually $61.17 American dollars or $4.47 per gallon. Higher than here. Which begs the question — how can they afford to drive anywhere when their salaries are so much lower than ours? It also explains the prevalence of motorcycles.Have you ever thought about going on a short-term mission trip? Guatemala is a short plane ride away. Perhaps this post and the two that follow will stir your heart about the possibilities for you, both for visiting and for serving.

If you’d really just like to “be a tourist” in Guatemala, there are several websites you should study to help with your planning. Click here, here, and here for some suggestions for staying, eating, and playing in and around Guatemala City. Just stick to bottled water and no uncooked foods, and you should be fine. It truly is a beautiful country, and I can personally recommend a sidetrip to Antigua for sightseeing and shopping. There are tours that will pick you up and bring you right back to your hotel. When Steve and I visited in 1991, the political climate was uneasy, but when we went back in 2013, everything was MUCH, MUCH calmer. Coatepeque is NOT a tourist destination, although there are some lovely people who call it home. Guatemala City, on the other hand, would give you a cultural taste without stretching you too far away from your comfort zone. Am I stirring up at least a small interest in having an adventure? Drag out that high school Spanish and go for it. 🙂

Savannah with my Silver Fox, Day 3

07/13/2015 By: CCPearson1 Comment

Savannah with my Silver Fox — Day 3 was highlighted by walking, interacting with people and still more good food. We had a very light breakfast in anticipation of what we knew awaited us at lunch time. We took a brisk 20-minute walk (only taking a wrong turn once) and got in line for Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House Dining Room at 10:30 a.m. This is what the line looked like when we joined it — a half a block long 30 minutes before the doors even opened!!!!Our hour-long + wait was made very enjoyable by the lovely black couple who got in line directly behind us. They were from Atlanta and were in town visiting their daughter who works in Savannah. They had eaten at Mrs. Wilkes’ before, so they told us all about what to expect plus numerous insights into their lives and philosophy of living. We laughed and visited as if we’d known each other for years.
In this Boarding House Dining Room, patrons are seated in tables of 10 and bowls of food are passed and replenished as necessary. There is room for about 80 people to eat at each “seating,” and each seating usually lasts about 40-45 minutes. Everyone pays the same price, and the only variable is whether you want sweet tea, unsweet tea or water.
The lady in the red dress on the far right of the above picture was the wife we visited with so happily during our wait. We lucked out and got to sit together for lunch, too. Look at that Southern table. I counted 22 different dishes that were passed. There were vegetables of every kind you could name, plus fried chicken and beef stew. The sweet potato souffle was VERY good, and Steve tried his cornbread plain, then with gravy, then with molasses. He was a happy camper.

The only logical thing to do after a meal such as that was more walking. Right? We walked a lot, took a power nap, and then walked some more. The beautiful twin steeples below are from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Within sight of this church, we stopped to sit on a park bench and watch a wedding rehearsal taking place. While we sat, a black man named Benjamin came by hoping to sell the Palm Sunday creations he had woven from Palmetto fronds (this reminded us so much of Palm Sunday practices from Ecuador). Benjamin DID end up with some money from us for his craft, but he also received a gospel witness. We talked to him about his spiritual beliefs. He claimed to know who Jesus was and what He had done for him on the cross, but he had never repented and asked him to be his Savior and Lord. He wasn’t ready to make that commitment today, so as you look at the picture of these church steeples I hope they will prompt you to pray for a man named Benjamin who needs Jesus.

We went in a lot of attractive shops this afternoon and saw some amazing works of art — one was a bronze piece about 4 feet high of a girl holding a seashell to her ear. Price tag? $13,000. Definitely a “look but don’t touch” situation.

In case you’re wondering, we DID stop by Paula Deen’s place — Lady and Sons — as we were walking to the City Market. We had heard very mixed reviews about her restaurant. The residents of Savannah are quick to give her credit for all of the good things she’s done for Savannah, but they claim her food is nothing special because, after all, she’s not in there doing the cooking. The Paula Deen Store had some interesting items, but I was able to resist temptation (Silver Fox has a way of helping me with that). 🙂

My Clipboard of Fun had Vic’s on the River for dinner tonight, but none of the available reservation times struck our fancy, so we ended up in a great place called 17Hundred90. It is said to be inhabited by 3 ghosts, but luckily none of them showed up during our dinner time.

You know it’s going to be a great meal when beautiful biscuits dripping with honey show up as a starter.

For entrees, Steve had Salmon Oscar with risotto and mixed vegetables. My plate was similar, except I had crab cakes and several huge scallops drizzled with hollandaise sauce.

During dinner, we watched a delightfull young family seated nearby — a husband, wife, and two children who appeared to be about 6 and 4. They were beautifully-behaved, ESPECIALLY considering the atmosphere and the menu. They were like watching a video of “How to take children into a nice restaurant in such a way that EVERYONE has a nice time.” I couldn’t resist stopping by the table on our way out to compliment these parents. Their hard work was definitely paying off.

Several general observations about Savannah (the city has a great website, by the way) during these days:

1) It is a family-friendly and pet-friendly city.

2) The food is at least as good as that in New Orleans — maybe better — without all of the raunchiness of New Orleans.

3) We parked our car when we arrived and didn’t get in it again until we checked out. It wasn’t necessary to drive anywhere. This is a great city for walking. Now, if you have ankle or knee issues, you might have difficulty because the streets have lots of bricks and uneven places. But, if you’re reasonably healthy and agile, you can get plenty of exercise WHILE seeing a lot of beautiful architecture and nature.

4) This is a place to which we’d like to return. Next time we’ll probably tour a few mansions and maybe take a couple of hours to drive over to Tybee Island. Plus, there are still so many good restaurants who need our reviews.

5) During our stay in April, it was warm and humid during midday and early afternoons. I can only imagine how sweltering it might be in August.

6) The Savannah city planners and historical preservationists have done a phenomenal job and deserve to be extremely proud of the results.

Savannah with my Silver Fox, Day 2

07/08/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

Day 2 of “Savannah with my Silver Fox” was filled with history lessons. We took a trolley tour and heard about many of the famous people and events that happened in this important city. We learned about James Oglethorpe and his prohibitions against allowing lawyers, strong alcohol, or Catholics into the colony. Those big plans didn’t last very long, did they? We saw monuments to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who only stayed for a few months but then went back to England because he couldn’t endure the Savannah heat. We saw several tributes to Johnny Mercer who wrote the lyrics for about 1500 songs and was nominated for 19 Academy Awards. My favorite song of his would have to be “Moon River” because I won a talent contest playing it when I was in the 10th grade. 🙂 We saw the house where the founder of the Girl Scouts was born, and I’m sure you’re not surprised that I made this picture of the First Baptist Church which was the only church still standing that carried on with services throughout the duration of the Civil War.

I’m not sure who this statue commemorates, but seeing Steve standing there made me think that he could probably be known as “The World’s Greatest Granddaddy” one of these days, but I can testify with certainty that he would NOT want a statue made of that honor. Can you see the Carolina live oaks in the background with all that moss hanging down? I understand that they stay green all year long, but you don’t want to take any moss home for a souvenir because it’s full of chiggers!!! Makes me itch just thinking about it. 🙁

We ate lunch today at a lovely place called Gryphon (pronounced “griffin”) Tea Room. It is operated by students at the Savannah College of Art and Design — known as SCAAD. The picture shows what we could see by looking directly over our table. Isn’t that amazing? The room had so many beautiful architectural details and a very special ambience.

Steve had smoked salmon on crostini, spread with goat cheese and a side of cucumber salad.

I had chicken salad with orange souffle and cheese straws. And, by the way, the tea was awesome. I’d love to go back some time with daughters or lady friends and enjoy their afternoon tea with scones, sandwiches and sweets. Doesn’t that sound prissy?

Many movies have been filmed either entirely or partially in Savannah. The Six Pence Pub, shown below, was featured in a Julia Roberts movie called “Something to Talk About.”

In the opening scene of “Forrest Gump,” a feather floats from the top of this church steeple pictured below. We saw the square where he sat on the bench and shared his story with bus passengers throughout an afternoon in the movie, but the bench is no longer there. At one of our trolley stops, a Forrest Gump impersonator got on for a couple of minutes saying he needed to go and find Lieutenant Dan. His dress and mannerisms were really good copies of Tom Hanks’ character.

We did more walking on our own this afternoon and especially enjoyed a nearby cemetery. One large marker showed the burial spot of a man who had been born on July 8, 1776 — only 4 days too late to be a bonafide “Yankee Doodle Dandy!” 🙂

Dinner that evening was our big splurge of the trip. We had reservations at The Olde Pink House overlooking Reynolds Square. It was built in 1771 and is the oldest mansion in the State of Georgia. It was originally a white house, but the soft native bricks began to bleed through the plastered walls and slowly changed the color to a Jamaican pink. Our table was in the original dining room. With the carefully-chosen classical music playing in the background, it was easy to imagine the family of James Habersham, Jr. eating here by candlelight 241 years ago.

For an appetizer, we had “blackened oysters on the half shell, watermelon relish, pear and apricot chutney and green tomato chow chow.” It was so delectable that we were half-way finished before I remembered to get out my camera.

Steve’s entree was “crispy-scored flounder with apricot shallot sauce, sweet potato fries and fried green tomatoes.” This was a LARGE flounder, but he managed to eat every bite. 🙂

I had “pecan crusted chicken breast, blackberry bourbon glaze, sweet potato with pecan vanilla butter and fried green tomatoes.” Scrumptious and amazing. The same chef has been at the restaurant since 1991. He’s worth whatever he’s getting paid. That’s for sure.

Our server arranged a very special dessert. Notice the message written by the chef in chocolate beside the key lime pie that we shared. The crust of that pie had a secret ingredient which I plan to KEEP as a secret because I hope to serve it to guests of my own very soon. It was the best key lime pie either of us had ever tasted — and we’ve had it in many places.

Again, I want to commend the staff at our B & B, the Presidents’ Quarters Inn. They were so attentive and helpful. They made suggestions and reservations for us and answered dozens of questions. On Night #2 there were homemade cookies on our pillow when we got in.

We rested well, eagerly anticipating Day 3.

Savannah with My Silver Fox, Day 1

07/06/2015 By: CCPearsoncomment

For an anniversary get-away not long ago, my Silver Fox and I decided to drive to Savannah, a place that was new to us. We chose to make reservations at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast place called Presidents’ Quarters Inn. Each of the 16 rooms is named for a U.S. President. We got the Lyndon B Johnson Room — and no, that would not have been our choice because he is most definitely NOT our favorite president, but it has a king-size bed and was within our budget, so there. It’s actually a very comfortable and spacious room as you can see below.

This pretty courtyard is where breakfast is served when the weather allows.

After getting settled in, we decided to walk down to the river and eat at a casual place called Huey’s on the River. It was delicious!
Steve and I love raw oysters, but we’d never had them steamed. They’re messy and look as if they’ve just been scooped up from the swamp, but they were plump and tasty. Yes, we do tend to be adventurous eaters — within reason.

Steve had the shrimp and grits. He said it was great.

I’m allergic to shrimp, so I had an oyster po-boy with a side order of red beans and rice. Can’t get enough of those oysters.

After dinner, we took a stroll along the river and thought about how much better we like “our” river — the one that runs right in front of our house. 🙂 But, this one is nice, too.

The place Savannah most reminded us of at that point was Guayaquil, Ecuador — just not so hot. We couldn’t help but remember the Malecon and the many great volunteer teams that flew into the airport and began or ended their mission project in that city. We found similarities to New Orleans, of course, too. Our impressions expanded the more we explored.

Oh yeah. The hotel people did a turn-down service while we were out for dinner, and there were some yummy chocolate treats on our pillows. What a great way to end the day. 🙂

Stay tuned for Part 2.

6 Places to Play In and Around Monterey

06/29/2015 By: CCPearson3 Comments

1) When you visit Monterey, you will thank your high school English teacher for requiring you to read Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. If you managed to pass the class by only reading the Cliffs Notes, then please review what you were supposed to have learned by clicking here. As you drive through this colorful fishing village, you will understand why Steinbeck chose the place for the setting of his book. So unique and full of history as well as fictional lore. Walk inside Cannery Row and along the streets outside. Somehow, it just makes you feel smart. What can I say?

2) Be sure to spend time at the world-renowned oceanfront Monterey Bay Aquarium. Their great website will prepare you for the experience. There is a 1.3 million-gallon giant kelp tank where you can look for sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, starfish, and sea otters. Kids (of all ages) are sure to enjoy it.

3) Have dinner and wander around Fisherman’s Wharf taking time to enjoy the antics of the many resident sea lions.

4) Take the famous Seventeen Mile Drive, stopping to photograph the Lone Cypress and dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

5) While driving through Big Sur, be sure to get close-up views of a redwood grove. Some of those redwoods have lived for 2000 years and are more than 350 ft. tall.

6) Drive to nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea and visit their beautifully-restored Carmel Mission. It’s a charming town with plenty of attractive shops and upscale bistros and cafes. Click here for specifics. I am old enough to remember when Clint Eastwood was elected Mayor of this town. If you are in the younger generation, you might want to learn more here.

Check out the Monterey tourism website for additional suggestions on lodging, dining and area attractions. We spent two nights at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA. It was beautiful and in a very central location. I recommend it heartily.

San Diego — Recommendations from Normal People

06/24/2015 By: CCPearson2 Comments

Many people refer to San Diego as a Mecca for Foodies, and I believe it was a trolley driver who said you could try a different restaurant every night for 3 years and still not exhaust the possibilities. That, my friends, is a LOT of restaurants. In this post I will weave in my thoughts about six of them.

As far as sightseeing goes, after you’ve “done the zoo,” I believe you’d enjoy strolling through all that Balboa Park has to offer, taking the Old Town Trolley Tour, and driving across the bridge to Coronado Island for shopping and some lunch. But, my favorite spot was right on the harbor beside the USS Midway. Steve toured the Midway in honor of his dad who served in the Navy and was in the Pacific during WWII. I strolled around outside and found “A National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military.” It was wonderful. The sculptures are so well-done, and there is a continuous soundtrack of Bob Hope entertaining the troops stationed far away from home in times of war. It brought back so many memories of watching TV specials of him doing that very thing around Christmas time when I was growing up. It’s a must-see, in my opinion.

If you can spare a day while you’re in the San Diego area, I would highly recommend finding La Jolla Cove. The water is cobalt blue. There’s a jagged section of coastline with crashing waves, pelicans, seals, and sea gulls. It will remind you of scenes around the Mediterranean with colorful houses in layers on the cliffs overlooking the shoreline. Strolling through the village, you will find unique shops, such as Cote Sud, a French tablecloth shop and several amazing art galleries. Our favorite was Mangelsen Images of Nature Gallery. Spectacular photography. I loved the fact that you could hear church bells play a snippet of “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” every hour on the hour. We had lunch at Georges at the Cove — wonderful food prepared by Trey Foshee a famous chef in that part of the country. When I say we had fish tacos and tuna melt, it sounds very plain and ho-hum, but I can assure you that both of those items were extraordinary.

We actually spent the night at The Bed and Breakfast Inn at La Jolla. Steve and I are still debating whether we had a small room or a large closet — let’s just say it was tiny — but the great smells of homemade cinnamon rolls and brownies offered as we checked in, chased away our complaints. Breakfast the next day consisted of fresh fruit, quiche, sausage links, broiled tomatoes and blackberry sorbet. Our table companions were delightful — a hiker from Baltimore, an 80-year-old lady from Scotland, and her son and daughter-in-law from Vancouver. Imagine that conversation. 🙂

For the rest of our time in San Diego, we stayed at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. It is in a great location, and our corner room had large picture windows overlooking the bay in two different directions. Be sure to get the add-on deal to include parking and breakfast. The wonderful buffet at their restaurant, Vela, could make usual buffet-haters into buffet-appreciators. Smoked salmon for breakfast? Why yes, I believe so.

Other restaurants I would recommend:

Hash House A Go Go at 3628 5th Avenue in San Diego. Take a look at what they call a chicken pot pie. A farm-to-table showcase.

The Fish Market at 750 Harbor Drive. Steve had fresh Pacific yellowtail. I had Idaho rainbow trout. And we shared a delectable slice of key lime pie. Oh my goodness.

Miguel’s Cocina in Old Town. We shared a chimichanga and pollo asado burrito. Excellent.

Filippi’s Pizza Grotto in Little Italy. Hands down, our favorite place in or around San Diego. You will never forget the smells. The looks of the outside might make you keep on walking. It’s in the back of a family-owned storefront, but PLEASE go on inside. It tastes authentically Italian and outstrips Olive Garden by a LONG way. We shared lasagna and eggplant parmesan with meatballs. Momma Mia!

Have you booked your plane ticket? Go on. What’s keeping you away? Life is short. There’s a great big world out there.

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